HomeEditor's Pick
Editor's Pick
Benzodiazepine in pregnancy tied to miscarriage risk – Taiwan study
A nationwide study in Taiwan found that benzodiazepine use during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage – for both long-acting and...
Jab could slash RSV babies’ hospital admissions by 80% – global study
An injection could reduce by 80% the numbers of babies and young children admitted to hospitals with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – which kills...
Hypochondriacs have higher risk of death, suicide – Swedish study
Researchers have linked hypochondria to an 84% higher risk for death, and a four-fold increased risk for suicide, with the findings of their population-based...
Algorithm predicts which organs age faster and will fail first – US study
A recent American study demonstrates a simple way of studying organ ageing by analysing distinct proteins, or sets of them, in blood, enabling the...
Early ovarian cancer detection possible with Pap smears – Milan study
The early detection of ovarian cancer is becoming more feasible than ever, with the results of a recent Italian study suggesting it may be...
Experts urge awareness of heart events tied to breast cancer drugs
Pharmacovigilance is needed to identify, monitor, and prevent cardiovascular adverse events (CV-AEs) associated with new agents for breast cancer and to reduce the risk...
Experts advise monitoring of acne drug’s adverse psychiatric effects
The common skin condition of acne has been associated with considerable morbidity, particularly psychiatric and psychological, but one of the most efficacious treatments, isotretinoin,...
Brain changes from hearing loss linked to dementia – US study
Scientists have suggested that hearing loss causes structural changes in parts of the brain related to symptoms of dementia – regions associated with attention...
Newly-found stem cell could solve cancer mystery
Scientists have discovered a new type of stem cell in the spine that appears crucial to resolving a long-standing mystery: why far more cancer...
Low rate of Down’s syndrome screening in SA , say experts
South African researchers have suggested that the rate of prenatal screening for trisomy 21 (the chromosomal defect that leads to the condition Down’s syndrome)...
CVD risk upped by long-term use of ADHD drugs
A case-control study by Swedish scientists suggests that longer use of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular...
Large study unpacks role of anaesthesia perioperative cardiac arrests
A recent study, possibly the largest of its kind, examining all cardiac arrests occurring during or soon after surgery in more than 300 UK...
Gene-editing cholesterol trial paves way for groundbreaking treatment
The treatment of a handful of patients with severe heart disease, who volunteered for an experimental cholesterol-lowering treatment using gene editing, has paved the...
Clinical trial reveals 'breakthrough' treatment options for MDR-TB
Clinical trial results presented at the Union World Conference on Lung Health in Paris last week provided evidence to support the use of four...
Two-minute delay in cord clamping helps preterm babies' survival rates, experts find
Recent research shows that if doctors wait at least two minutes after a baby’s birth to clamp the umbilical cord, they significantly improve in-hospital...
Finnish study calls for review of HPV screening policies
Vaccines that prevent the cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) are so effective that it may be time to review HPV screening protocols,...
Bread and cereal not tied to higher disease risk, suggests global UPF study
A recent study has found no link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) – including bread and cereal – and an increased risk of suffering a...
Hanging out with family can reduce death risk – UK cohort analysis
Scottish researchers suggest that those who socialise regularly with friends or family outside their household live longer than those who never do, according to...
First new gonorrhoea drug in 40 years offers promise
A new antibiotic to treat gonorrhoea may be on the horizon after a successful phase 3 trial of an oral pill, zoliflodacin, that was...
7 000 steps a day can reduce early CVD death risk, global study finds
An international study has disclosed for the first time the best number of steps at which most people obtain the greatest benefits – and...
Could cellphone use be responsible for declining sperm quality?
Scientists are probing whether electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones affects semen quality in a research project launched this year, after a study associated...
Excessive pregnancy kilos linked to earlier deaths – US study
Researchers, who analysed more than 50 years of pregnancy and mortality data, found that excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) was linked to increased risk...
Better use of existing drugs boosts cervical cancer survival – UK study
A recent British study has found that treatment with existing drugs before standard treatment for cervical cancer could lead to a 35% reduction in...
Juvenile arthritis increases with age, says CDC
A report from the US Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) shows that around 220 000 under-18s in America have been diagnosed with...
Common shoulder procedure of no benefit – Norwegian study
Scientists in Norway had said that saline lavage, which is meant to loosen up calcified shoulder tendons, provided no benefit in a double-blind, sham-controlled...
Red meat eaters have higher type 2 diabetes risk – US study
People who regularly eat red meat may have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes later in life, suggest scientists, who after analysing data...
Genetic risk scores a poor measure to predict disease – UK study
A British study has found that polygenic risk scores, which estimate a person’s disease risk based on thousands or millions of common genetic variants,...
Parkinson’s detectable before physical symptoms show – Australian research
The injection of a synthetic compound can highlight neurodegeneration in patients in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease – years before physical symptoms show...
Early-onset diabetes tied to shortened lifespan
Recent research has suggested that the lifespan of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by the age of 30 is 14 years less than...
Ultra-processed foods should be labelled ‘addictive’, say scientists
People might change their diets if some foods were labelled as “addictive”, says a group of international scientists, whose estimates suggest that one in...
Slashing radiotherapy doses safe for prostate cancer treatment – UK trial
Men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer could be safely given far less radiotherapy, a major trial has found, the results also showing that after...
Childhood cancer survivors face serious health hurdles later in life – US review
Researchers have warned that people who’ve had childhood cancer are highly likely to face physical and mental health challenges later in life, with 95%...
US study finds serious side effects from weight-loss drugs
Diabetes drugs now popular for their serendipitous by-product – weight loss – have also been linked to increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects, including...
Long Covid proven by biological markers – Yale study
A groundbreaking US study found clear differences in immune and hormone function between individuals with long COVID and those without, enabling researchers to diagnose...
Vast majority of ‘penicillin allergies’ are just antibiotic side-effects
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) warns in a review that 90% of people who think they are allergic to penicillin are not – they...
Stable weight for women tied to exceptional longevity – US analysis
Older women who maintain a stable weight may be nearly twice as likely to live to 90 to 100 years old, although unintentional weight...
Psoriasis tied to increased heart disease risk – Italian study
In a large cross-sectional study, nearly one-third of patients with severe psoriasis met criteria for coronary microvascular dysfunction, with the authors suggesting the need...
Patients had lucid death experiences after CPR revival, finds study
For up to an hour after their hearts had stopped, some patients revived by CPR had clear memories afterwards of experiencing death, and had...
Progress for traditional medicine in disease-fighting arsenal
Researchers are edging closer to using traditional medicines in the fight against disease, in line with the Department of Health's goal to register these...
Large study knocks reflux disease link to cancer
Reflux disease, which manifests as acid regurgitation and heartburn, has been known as a risk factor for oesophageal cancer, but a recent study now...